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By Kevin Whitlock

This month former DraftFCB executive creative director Arthur Parshotam joins us as creative director for American Express, responsible for all below-the-line work on the brand internationally (outside America) and in the UK.

He will be based in London, working closely with OgilvyOne London chief executive Mike Dodds, Dennis Lewis (Ogilvy’s international creative partner for Amex above-the-line advertising) and Ros King, who leads the Amex international business outside the US.  

“There are so many reasons why I couldn’t say no to this job,” says Arthur. “There’s the opportunity to work for the Agency of the Year. There’s the attraction of working on a global, 360 account; of working on a truly iconic brand. American Express demands famous work: I’ll be responsible for a huge range of products, from Centurion to Green, above, below and on-line; there are enough subtleties and nuances within the American Express brand to keep the job stimulating.”

Colin Nimick, executive creative director at OgilvyOne London adds: “Arthur is one of the most respected creatives in the business, with almost 90 awards to his name. Added to that, he has unrivalled experience with financial brands, helping to launch Mint, Egg and First Direct as well as working on a number of premium brands.”

Before joining the then Draft in 1998, Arthur worked at Craik Jones, WCRS, DDB and Ayer, where he worked on brands such as VW, Walkers Crisps, Mint and Unilever. A native of Bristol, he learned the copywriter’s craft at Watford College after a youthful spell as a professional footballer.

By Kevin Whitlock 

Our very own John Thompson is hoping to enter the record books next month when he becomes the first black Briton (from known records) to reach the North Pole.

 John, who’s 28 and who works as a production manager here at Canary Wharf, will be setting off in April on an epic journey with a group of fellow adventurers to walk and ski to the Pole for charity. He aims to reach his goal on or around 26 April.

Travelling by ski, the team will travel across the (totally unmarked) polar ice from 89°N to 90°, a journey of about 75 miles. Skiing for 6 – 10 hours each day, the group will have to negotiate some very difficult terrain – including giant cracks in the pack ice that expose the deadly cold, 13,500-foot deep polar sea – and endure temperatures as low as –40°C. What’s more, they will also have to drag their own supply sleds – a process known as “man hauling”!

An ex-Army man, John is in excellent physical and mental shape, but such a hazardous journey cannot be undertaking without preparation. He’s already undergone a gruelling “shakedown” training trip in the wilds of Northern Minnesota, on the US-Canadian border.

“The shakedown trip tested me to the limit But I also learned the skiing, winter camping and survival skills necessary for the expedition,” says John. “I had had little experience of Arctic camping and ski-ing but after the training, team-building and evaluation we got on the shakedown trip I’m feeling a lot more confident that I can achieve my goal.”

OgilvyOne is delighted to be one of John’s three sponsors. Managing Director Annette King says: “At OgilvyOne we offer to bring our clients ‘Safe Adventure’. I’m not sure how safe John’s adventure will be but we admire his spirit and determination, are extremely proud of him and we’re delighted to be able to help him on his way via our sponsorship.”

John wants to raise £60,000 for three charities, including Cancer Research UK, Action Medical Research and Chickenshed. He is aiming to raise the money by selling ad space on a flag he will be taking to the Pole. Once there, it will be unfurled, photographed and distributed to the UK media. 

John has set up a website, www.lastdegree.co.uk, which will allow users donate online and follow his progress as he treks towards the Pole. Why not pay it a visit, catch up with John’s latest adventures, and make a donation?

By Kevin Whitlock

OgilvyOne London has won a major brief from British Gas Business (BGB) after a two-way competitive pitch.

Last April OgilvyOne London scooped the £50m+ British Gas Energy (consumer) direct marketing brief. However, Centrica-owned BGB – one of the country’s leading suppliers of gas and electricity to the business community, ranging from large corporates to SMEs – is a separate company from its more familiar consumer counterpart, with its own P&L and management.

The BGB work, which will be primarily online with some offline support, will be split into two tasks: a brand campaign and a “green” initiative both backed by characteristically rigorous OgilvyOne research, lasting for around six to eight months. The agency will begin work on the account immediately.

The aim of the green initiative is to enhance existing relationships and to start up a dialogue between BGB and its customers.

OgilvyOne London’s managing director Annette King says: “We’re delighted to be able to announce our first new business win of 2008. I’m especially pleased to be able to say that the opportunity first came to us through the biggest direct win of last year – the British Gas consumer account, as the best and most rewarding new business is always that which you’ve been able to grow from your existing client base.

“This sector of course presents a very different set of challenges to the home energy market. But we have unrivalled experience in B2B via our long-standing relationships with IBM, BT Business, Amex, Cisco and SAP; as well as gaining valuable expertise through our work on the British Gas domestic utilities account, so we feel we can meet those challenges head on.”